Digital Product Passport (DPP) for wood products
The EU will soon require every product to have a digital product passport (DPP) — a QR code or data matrix that links to verified sustainability and traceability data throughout its lifecycle.
Exactly what labeling should look like has not yet been determined – but the need for unique, machine-readable and durable labeling is clear.
Choosing the right equipment today gives you the freedom to adapt as requirements become more precise.
What is a Digital Product Passport (DPP)?
A digital product passport (DPP) is a standardized digital information system that tracks a product throughout its entire life cycle — from raw material to final disposal. The passport is accessed via a physical label on the product, usually a QR code or Datamatrix, which links to a database with verifiable information about content, origin, environmental performance and traceability.
The DPP is introduced through the EU Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), adopted in 2024 and part of the European Green Deal. The aim is to strengthen transparency, enable the circular economy and provide consumers, authorities and businesses with access to reliable product data.
THE CORE: Every physical product sold on the EU market must carry a machine-readable code that links to digitally stored, standardized and verifiable information about the product's sustainability and origin.
Timeline — when will the requirements come?
● 2024 — ESPR adopted
Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation enters into force. The framework for digital product passports is established.
● 2025-2026 — Delegated acts
The EU Commission defines product-specific requirements. Steel and textiles are "front runners". Skogforsk publishes data protocols for wood products.
○ 2027 — First DPP mandatory
Batteries, textiles and steel are the first to be subject to mandatory digital product passports. Building materials and furniture (which contain wood) are expected in the next wave.
○ 2028–2030 — Expansion
DPP is being expanded to more product categories. Pure wood products are expected to be phased in during this period, but affected suppliers in the chain must be ready from 2027.
(● = already happened, ○ = upcoming)
WHY ACT NOW? Wood is used as an input in furniture, building materials and packaging — product categories that are being covered early. Therefore, sawmills and wood producers need to be able to deliver traceability data even before pure wood products are formally required.
What should the passport contain? — Six data categories
The report "Digital Product Passports for wood-based products" (2026) by Skogforsk (the central research institute of the Swedish forestry sector, funded by both the government and the industry) defines six categories that a DPP for wood should cover:
01 — Product identification
Unique identity, article number, batch, dimensions. Links the physical piece of wood to its digital passport.
04 —
Usage phase
Strength class, durability, maintenance requirements. Information that governs how the product is used and repaired.
02 —
Raw materials & origin
Tree species, geolocation of harvesting, certifications (FSC/PEFC), EUDR reference number.
05 —
Environmental performance
Climate footprint (EPD data), energy consumption in production, recycling potential and life cycle analysis.
03 — Production processes
Sawing, drying, planing, impregnation. What steps has the wood gone through and where?
06 —
Social sustainability
Working conditions, regulatory compliance, responsible trading. Increasingly important in public procurement.
What does this mean for labeling in practice?
The exact format has not yet been specified in detail. However, to accommodate enough information – geo-coordinates, certificate of origin, time stamp and reference number – everything points to Datamatrix or QR codes as the practical answer, probably in combination with a human-readable text code.
These 2D codes can carry significantly more data than a traditional barcode and are already established in similar traceability systems within the EU.
What is clear is that:
Each unit or batch needs a unique identifier
The code must be legible and durable – even after impregnation, outdoor storage and transport
The system must be able to integrate with ERP and the EU's information systems
Labels on living materials – a known and costly problem
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Traditional labeling is a natural starting point when marking wood products – but it does not work on living materials such as wood or sawn timber.
The consequence : The label comes off during transport, storage or further
processing – and traceability is broken. Exactly what EUDR does not allow.
The problems with labels on wood are well known in the industry:
-
Moisture and resin prevent the adhesive surfaces from adhering properly to freshly
sawn wood -
Temperature changes during outdoor storage cause glue to crack and the label
to come off. -
Mechanical handling – forklifts, conveyors and sorting equipment tear off labels
-
Impregnation dissolves glue and ink, making the code unreadable or disappearing
completely -
Aging and UV light degrade the label material long before the product reaches
the end customer
A lost label is not just an administrative problem – it's a traceability hole
which may mean that the entire batch does not meet DPP requirements.
The solution: Mark directly on the wood fiber
GSI Nordic’s UV inkjet printer applies the ink directly to the wood surface where it is polymerized by UV light, forming a plastic-like film that sticks – not to the wood, but to it. There is no glue to dissolve, no material to tear off and no label to lose. The marking is as permanent as the wood itself.
-
Withstands impregnation, pressure impregnation and surface treatment
-
Resistant to moisture, cold and prolonged UV exposure
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Readable with industrial code readers and mobile cameras all the way to the end customer
-
Black and white ink always provides sufficient contrast – even on dark or discolored surfaces
wood or in the presence of twigs or code strings
Why future-proof marking equipment is crucial
With requirements still evolving, it’s more important than ever to choose a labeling solution that can adapt as regulations change – without replacing hardware. GSI Nordic’s NoLabel™ and Colorize™ printers are built for just that.
01
Mjukvara som kan uppdateras
Koden som skrivs styrs helt av mjukvara.
För att kunna anpassa sig för förändringar krävs en modern hårdvara och framförallt en framtidssäker arkitektur.
Våra märkutrustningar är utvecklade på 2020 talet, nätverksbaserade och är från grunden uppbyggda för att kunna anpassa sig mot förändrade krav och regelverk och nya protokoll.
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Beständig märkning hela vägen
UV-härdande bläck i svart och vitt bildar en plastliknande yta som tål impregnering, väta, UV-ljus och mekaniskt slitage. Spårbarheten överlever virkets hela livscykel – från sågverk till slutkund.
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Vill du veta mer?
Kontakta oss på GSI Nordic, vi har årtionden av erfarenhet av märkning på trä i krävande miljöer.
kontakt@gsinordic.se
02
Integration med överordnade system
Skrivarna kommunicerar med ERP, MES och databaser. Unika koder per enhet genereras automatiskt från orderdata och kan länkas direkt till EU:s spårbarhetssystem.
Skrivarna kan själva kopplas till kamera system för att säkerställa att koderna är korrekta.
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Upplösning och hastighet utan begränsningar
Datamatrix- och QR-koder kräver hög upplösning för säker läsbarhet och skrivarna måste tåla både de miljöer och produktionshastigheter de skall sitta i.
Våra skrivare levererar med möjligheten att märka svart+vitt med extrem läsbarhet i hastigheter överstigande nuvarande produktionshastigheter. Märkningen sätter aldrig produktionen i kö, varken idag eller när kraven skärps.